bananas

[buh-nan-uh z] /bəˈnæn əz/
adjective, Slang.
1.
crazy; deranged:
All that chatter is driving me bananas.
2.
wildly enthusiastic:
The crowd went bananas when the music began.
Origin
1965-70, Americanism; see banana, -s3

banana

[buh-nan-uh] /bəˈnæn ə/
noun
1.
a tropical plant of the genus Musa, certain species of which are cultivated for their nutritious fruit.
Compare banana family.
2.
the fruit, especially that of M. paradisiaca, with yellow or reddish rind.
Origin
1590-1600; < Spanish < Portuguese (perhaps via Sp); akin to various words for banana or plantain in WAfr languages (e.g., Wolof, Malinke banana, Vai (Mande language of Liberia) bana), but ultimate source and direction of borrowing uncertain
Can be confused
banana, plantain.
Examples from the web for bananas
  • Whisk together the dry ingredients at home and then add the wet ingredients and sliced bananas at camp.
  • Others sound so bizarre they could make you go bananas.
  • People hustle to put each animal on a clean towel in a cardboard box that once held bananas.
  • The church or chapel formed one side of a quadrangle, in the middle of which a large clump of bananas were growing.
  • But that level had been crossed out and the alert upped to bananas.
  • Ethyl acetate is an ester that is found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as bananas, apples and coffee.
  • They're also found in carrots, daffodils, bananas and other plants that have these vibrant colors.
  • It's generally tough to develop a seedless fruit-bananas and oranges are rare successes.
  • Comparing pop and chips to bananas, milk and chicken is not necessarily relevant either.
  • Apes can climb trees, eat bananas, and fling dung at one another.
British Dictionary definitions for bananas

bananas

/bəˈnɑːnəz/
adjective
1.
(slang) crazy (esp in the phrase go bananas)

banana

/bəˈnɑːnə/
noun
1.
any of several tropical and subtropical herbaceous treelike plants of the musaceous genus Musa, esp M. sapientum, a widely cultivated species propagated from suckers and having hanging clusters of edible fruit
2.
the crescent-shaped fruit of any of these plants Compare plantain2
Word Origin
C16: from Spanish or Portuguese, of African origin
Word Origin and History for bananas
adj.

"crazy," 1968; earlier (1935) it was noted as an underworld slang term for "sexually perverted."

banana

n.

1590s, borrowed by Spanish or Portuguese from a West African word, possibly Wolof banana. The plant was introduced to the New World from Africa in 1516. Top banana, second banana, etc. are 1950s, from show business slang use of banana for "comedian, especially in a burlesque show." Banana split first attested 1920. Banana oil "nonsense" is slang from c.1910.

Slang definitions & phrases for bananas

bananas

adjective
  1. Crazy; nuts: I could see that my calm was driving him bananas (1970s+)
  2. Very enthusiastic; highly excited; ape (1960s+)
  3. Homosexual (1930s+ Underworld)
Related Terms

go bananas


cool beans

modifier

Excellent; wonderful; cool, fresh, rad: Cool Beans ''superlative, a highly desirable situation'' (1980s+ Students)


banana

noun
  1. A comedian, esp in a burlesque show •These performers were ranked as ''top banana,'' ''second banana,'' etc (1950s+ Show business)
  2. A sexually attractive light-skinned black woman Considered offensive by the women to whom this term is applied (1940s+ Black)
  3. The penis (1916+)
  4. An Oriental sympathetic with and part of the white majority society •Because white on the inside though yellow on the outside (1980s+)
  5. A patient with jaundice (1980s+ Medical)
  6. A fool; an idiot •Attested as college slang in 1989, probably based on bananas (1920+)
  7. A crazy person; loony (1970s+)
Related Terms

have one's banana peeled, top banana


Related Abbreviations for bananas

BANANA

build absolutely nothing anywhere near anybody
Idioms and Phrases with bananas

banana

In addition to the idiom beginning with
banana
also see: